✨reading VLOG📚 | spend a few cozy days with me☔️ | book unhaul, recent reads & more!🌷

Added: 2026-05-04

[00:00:04][music] >> Hey everybody and welcome back to my channel Bookmarked by Aaliyah. Welcome if you're new here. And y'all tell we've been doing a whole lot of car hanging out in the last few vlogs.

[00:00:14]Y'all I got to get these vlogs in when I can fit them in. My schedule has changed so much. It's going to go back to normal soon, but not right now. What I am reading and what I've been reading.

[00:00:28]Halen I just finished The Book of Harlan. I just finished that up last night. That book was all over the place. But all over the place in a good way. It has so much going on in that book y'all. I really thought that the book was that that they were never going to get to Paris. That he was never going to get to the concentration camp. If you didn't watch my last vlog, if you don't know anything about the book, this book is about Harlan, which is a young musician who has a opportunity to go play in Paris. When he gets to Paris, the midst of the war starts, World War II. So Nazi takeover, all that jazz. Him and one of his friends that he obviously went to go play music, you know, they all they both went together. They get captured. So they have their time in the concentration camp, right? That's the synopsis of the story. He did not get to that the plot of the story didn't even happen until I'd have to say at least like 50 to 60% of that book. The beginning of the book isn't even about Harlan. You're talking about his parents, you're talking about their life, their friends, their you know, life and everything that's going on.

[00:01:38]Harlan is born. Harlan's childhood. You know, it it's a whole lot before we even get to the plot, which makes me wonder why was that the synopsis of the book?

[00:01:48]Yes, that was a very important piece of the book and it shaped Harlan to what he became toward the end, but it was so much more. That's why I say sometimes the synopsis of a book isn't even what the book is like wholeheartedly about.

[00:02:02]If I had to pick one word for this book, it would be survival. It's survival of the times they were living in because this book spans from like 1910s or 20s or something like that all the way to the 1970s.

[00:02:16]So you're following so many different eras in our history. And as we know as as black people, we had to survive from the jump. It's about survival. But I really enjoy the book. I am stuck on a rating though. I have no idea what I'm going to rate this book. I have not reviewed that book. I haven't put it on Goodreads. I have no idea what I'm going to even say about that book. The the writing was beautiful. It was it was Bernice McFadden, you know, her her signature writing, but you know, it was it was all over the place. This morning on the way to work, so I'm only like on chapter three. I just started listening to Last Stop from Innocence by Takira Allen. So I'm going to continue on with this book. Shayna Small is the narrator for this book and I do like her. I think she narrated The Last Summer on State Street.

[00:03:06]I think.

[00:03:07]Tomorrow I'm off, so I want to read this book. But while I'm at work today, I don't know that I'll be able to listen to it. I might be able to like read it on a break. I don't know. Who knows? Who knows what my schedule's going to bring?

[00:03:18]I don't know what I'm going to be able to do. I'm always planning something and have no clue. So that's what I'm reading right now. I got my coffee, about to get my butt into work and I will see y'all when I get something else to say.

[00:03:37]I do have four books that I'm thinking about un-hauling. I'm sold on like three. One I'm like, maybe one day, but at the same time I'm like, no. So I'm going to go over these books real quick. I'm not going to read the backs to tell you what they're about, but I have Skype and Sparrow.

[00:03:52]This was the third book in the butcher I don't know what it's called Remus love trilogy. I really don't know. I loved butchering blackbird. Leather and Lark was like, uh. And this one I'm like 50/50 on. Like am I going to like it like butchering blackbird? Am I going to hate it like I did leather and Lark? You know what I mean? So I'm on the fence and now so much time has passed that I'm just not I'm I'm I don't care about the series that much anymore. So I just I think I'm going to I know I'm going to give this one up.

[00:04:22]Then I have All Good People Here by Ashley Flowers. This was one that remember I said my coworker brings me her mom's books all the time. This was one of the ones that I picked up out of the the pile that she brought to work that day. And after I got it I was like, this book is really small. And the writing the book is small and the words are really small. So this is not going to be a comfortable read. I still want to read this book, but I'll see if like it's on Kindle Unlimited or if Libby has it or I'll listen to it or you whatever, but I I do want to read the book. I just don't need the physical copy taking up room, you know, in here. Then we got One of Us Is Dead by Geneva Rose. I really enjoyed this messy messy domestic mystery. It was like more of a mystery.

[00:05:04]It's not like thrilling at all. But it's more like a you know, a domestic mystery or whatever, suspense, domestic suspense, whatever you call it. But it's just following four messy women in like Buckhead, Atlanta. So they're like hoity-toity rich women and you know how they can be messy. So I enjoyed this book. I just I don't I just just don't need the physical anymore. Then this is the one I'm on the fence about. This is Filthy Rich Faye by Geneva Lee. I got this book when I thought I wanted to, you know, get into my fantasy bag and see how I felt about it, right? But I got this book before I knew because it doesn't say like book one or anything on here. Actually it does. I just I literally just noticed this as I was talking to you.

[00:05:46]It's literally a one right here.

[00:05:48]But anywho, I did not know that this was a a duology, trilogy, I really don't know how many books it is. But let me tell you my track record with fantasy.

[00:05:57]Read Fourth Wing, loved it. Got about 20% in Iron Flame and was like, I don't want to read this, right? Read Legendborn, loved it. Got to Bloodmarked, didn't even get 20%. I was like, no. So because of my pattern with fantasy, the first book in like a series, I feel like I'm going to love it cuz it's new. It's different. It's out of my comfort zone. I'm I'm committed because I want to finish a book that I usually don't read. But after I get into it and I understand the book and I like the book, I don't care about it anymore.

[00:06:30]If I'm going to be playing around with fantasy, I need standalone fantasies.

[00:06:35]Standalone fantasies is going to be the way to go for me if I ever do get to the point where I'm like wanting a fantasy read. It has to be a one and done. So because this book has more coming after it, I already know I'm not wasting my money. I'm not wasting my time. If I see this book like on Kindle Unlimited, which I think it is, or Libby or something like that again and I really feel like I want to feel like that, I'll get it that way, but I just don't need the physical book because it's not like it's going to be displayed because I have all two or three, you know, whatever. I'm not going to get the other books. I just know I'm not, so why waste my time? But the book is about it's more of the magic fantasy that I say that I like more. I don't like all the extra stuff and super crazy world building.

[00:07:17]Like I my brain don't my brain can't compute. Like it doesn't it doesn't work out. Like it's a lot for me to like retain that information, understand that information. I read those books very slowly and I just I can't do it. I was drawn to this book because it's a nurse in New Orleans. Love New Orleans. My family's from New Orleans. And she it's like by day it's like a regular world, her regular life, nursing or whatever. But something goes on I think with her brother and she has to like make the deal with something or somebody rather.

[00:07:50]And at night it's like this like underworld and all these things happen at night. So New Orleans creepy, you know what I mean, underworld like that really like appealed to me. The more I'm talking about this book I'm like, dang I want to read it. But again, I don't need the physical book to do that. But I don't know. I still may read this book. It just won't be in physical form.

[00:08:12]It'll be like on my Kindle or something like that just in case I don't want to continue on. So these are the four books I'm giving up. I did download the Little Free Library app. I want to get some new Little Free Libraries to go to because the two that I know for sure that are like in my neighborhood that are like around the corner and close, those those are just kind of crappy now. Like the books that they have in there are never good ones. The type of books that are always in there that it's it's it's huge. You can tell people, you know, donate and they take books out. Like it's it's never empty, but the books that are in there are like older books, which lets me know the readers in my community probably are older readers.

[00:08:51]You know, they're like books that I would never pick up. Not because I don't think they're good. It's just like books that I don't gravitate toward. They're never like the popular ones or the ones you've heard of or every time I go I rarely see a book that I love. You know what I mean? That's in there. So the books that I would put in there kind of like don't match the vibe. So when I'm like out going to the grocery store or I'm in another city like a surrounding city or a surrounding neighborhood, I wanted to get that app so I can see like what other ones do they have around me so I can put these in that. I don't know that I'm going to go do that today because it is about to rain and it just seems like it's going to be that type of day. So those are the books that I'm going to give up.

[00:09:31]I told you yesterday that I started Last Stop from Innocence by Takira Allen. I am only 70 pages into this book. But what I will say about this book. I don't have a lot to tell you about the book like my opinions or anything cuz I'm not far enough in. But one word that I have for this book right now is going to be nostalgia.

[00:09:53]This book is taking me back. I am usually not one for pop references or fashion references in books. They can be cool sometimes, but I just feel like those little tidbits in books don't age well. But usually that's when we're talking about like today's stuff. When you're using like the lingo from like now, you know, or you're talking about music from now, but it's just something about this book.

[00:10:20]This book is set in the '90s. You know it's set in the '90s. It's a book that's written in more present day, but a throwback. You see what I'm saying? This book is taking me back, y'all. Everybody has that one era, that one decade that they feel like is like their decade, and the '90s were mine.

[00:10:39]The girl in this book is 18. It's the summer before she goes off to college.

[00:10:43]It doesn't really say what year it is, but just like reading it and and listening to like and reading like the music that she's listening to, the fashion that she has on, I'm like, this has got to be like '96, '97, or something like that, you know? And y'all, those are my years. Those are my years. If you are my age or a little older or a little younger, you get it.

[00:11:03]So, this is just like you can read a book that's set in the time that you're not that you weren't like of age in and enjoy the story. But when you can read a book that's set in the age that you vividly remember, that were like your years, it does something. So, if nothing more, I'm loving this book because of that. But right now, I haven't really gotten anywhere. This book is following a young girl who goes to live with her father, and she was used to living with her mom in the suburbs, but she has to go live with her dad for the summer before she goes off to Howard University in the fall. Her father's life is completely different from the life she's living. You know what I mean? She Her father lives in the hood, basically. He owns like a barbecue spot, you know, it's in the hood, it's real popular, good food, you know? And her cousins, her dad's side of the family's there, so she's really close with one of her cousins that they're like months apart or whatever. So, they're just living their best life over the summer. I'm very early in, so I don't have I don't I don't I can't tell you a lot right now, but so far, so good. I'm enjoying this story.

[00:12:05]Um I didn't get far at all yesterday.

[00:12:07]What I did get read, I read last night after I got home. And then I went to sleep. So, today, I my goal is to get about 50 to 60% into this book, um however I consume it. I do want to physically read this book for a good chunk of the day, but I do, you know, have some stuff I need to do now, but I'm ready to get back into the book. So, I probably am going to listen to this for a, you know, hour or so, a couple hours, and then like later on, I will actually pick this book up and physically read, whether it's the physical book or Kindle or whatever, I just want to read this with my eyes. I will give you an update when I have something else to say on this book.

[00:12:45]>> [music] [music] [music] [music] >> So, y'all, this has nothing to do with books at all. Have y'all watched The Testaments? Were y'all Handmaid's Tale fans? I was a Handmaid's Tale fan, but I did not watch the last season. The other day, I started The Testaments. I watched a couple episodes, and the newest episode came out today, so I'm going to watch that later.

[00:13:31]I just want to rewatch the third episode that came out cuz I fell asleep on it.

[00:13:35]So, I watched that, and then I went back and watched a couple episodes of the last season of Handmaid's Tale, just to see if I missed anything that was really important, if I had to know that before I watched this, before I get like deep deep into The Testaments, but that has nothing to do with books, but kind of it does, cuz it was a book, right? Both of them were books. Handmaid's Tale, what's the author's name? Margaret Atwood? And then, I didn't know this, but I didn't know The Testaments was part of that like books. It's a book, you know, loosely based on The Handmaid's Tale.

[00:14:10]So, I guess it is kind of bookish content, right? But I'm just watching it. If you were a Handmaid's Tale fan, you are going to love this. It's got the same It's got the tone that Handmaid's Tale started with. I feel like once we got post-COVID, cuz if you remember, it took a long time for that show to come back, you know, because of COVID or whatever.

[00:14:29]But once it came back, it just wasn't the same to me, so I kind of like distractedly watched season 5, and then I didn't even watch season 6. But like season 1 through 4 of The Handmaid's Tale, The Testaments is giving that. If you have not watched it, watch it. If you've never watched The Handmaid's Tale, go watch that, too, because it is so good. So good. I can see me reading it, but at the same time, I can't.

[00:14:50]That's something that I feel like I would enjoy better watching as opposed to reading. But anyhoo. So, I did almost reach my goal. I stopped listening earlier at like I started at like 18%.

[00:15:03]That's where I was, at page 68 or whatever. And I got to about 40 45, 46% or whatever, and then I just finished reading a little bit. I think I'm on chapter What is this? I guess it would be like 14, but it's just entitled Tammy's Interlude.

[00:15:23]Um I just love this the the way the book is set up when it's like stop seven, stop eight, stop nine, Gabe's Interlude, Tammy's Interlude. Tammy is the friend of Amore. I mean, her cousin. I still don't have a whole lot to tell you, but I'm enjoying the story. Like it's literally just a a coming-of-age urban story. Like it is very character-driven. So, I'm just watching her live out her summer, hanging out with her cousin, bonding with Gabe. Gabe is like into some illegal stuff, you know, not like drugs or nothing, but he like steals cars or something like that.

[00:15:57]And so, she's kind of looking at it like, you know, am I safe? But at the same time, she is feeling him, and he is feeling her, and he's never felt a girl like that. I feel like there's a story behind why he's never felt a girl like that, or somebody hurt him. That's what my guess is. I don't know if it is, but I feel like somebody hurt him. She, you know, she her relationship with her father is a little weird because I guess he was never really like in her life in her life, but at the same time, he was, but not like a present present father.

[00:16:25]But I'm enjoying the story. Like I said, it's very character-driven. I'm just literally following the their lives.

[00:16:30]That's all I'm doing, but it's not bad at all. It keeps me interested. I'm turning these pages. I want I don't want to put the book down, so that's a good sign, right? It seems like one of those books like after it's over or when I get to the very end, I'll close the book and be like, "Hmm."

[00:16:45]This book was about But in the the time I'm reading it, it's just very character-driven. I hope I get back to this book tonight because I might want to watch that last episode of The Testaments because I want to like really dive in cuz I was kind of distracted earlier. So, I was like, "You know what? I'm going to put this on hold." So, that's when I started listening to this. So, I'll be back.

[00:17:07]Y'all, this book continues to take me back. When I say they are dropping songs that I forgot about, as soon as they say something, I'm like, "Dang, what's that song?" I go to Spotify. I put it in. I'm like, "Oh my god, I used to play this song out." They're they're not doing like all the like popular songs. Like it's it's they're dropping songs that like you would only know if you had that tape tape. Damn, I'm old. I'm going to be honest. Like this story isn't like "Oh my god, everybody has to read this story." Like it's it's really not that.

[00:17:41]I think I just personally like it because it's it's taking me back to the to my good old days, and that new love, that young love, that just sitting in the car, and, you know, just being crazy, fighting girls over your man, you know, cuz again, they're 18. It's really childish. But this is the stuff that happened, being petty, like I don't usually do this, and I don't spoil books. I'm not spoil This is not a spoiler. It's just a small scene just to kind of give you the idea of what I'm saying, like of being a teenager in high school and being petty. They were at this pool party, and, you know, Gabe's like ex-girlfriend or whatever was there, and then they start singing karaoke. So, her and her friends were singing their little song, but the ex-girlfriend gets up there, and she wants to sing, you know, that song, "He's mine. You may have had him once, but I had him all the time." So, it's just petty. Just petty because that took me back to so many memories of like being on a school bus, going on trips. I was a cheerleader, so like being on the bus without a drama, going to games. And it's just it's just it's funny cuz we were so stupid. You look back, and it was like, "Man." And and back then, you couldn't tell me nothing. You couldn't tell me nothing, honey. I knew everything. I was just as grown as I am right now. You know I wasn't. I was petty, and I was childish. But I don't know, y'all. So, I'm I'm enjoying this book though. I really am.

[00:19:06]But like I said, the storyline is just character-driven. It's just young love, new love, you know, character development, a blooming relationship between not only her and Gabe, but her and her father, because remember I said they they really didn't have a real relationship. You know, she calls the man by his first name, you know? It's just It's a good time. It's a good time. Nothing too too serious. So, I do recommend the book. And especially for my girls that, you know, were teenagers in the '90s, it's it's going to take you back. It's a good one. So, this weekend, my the book club, me and the girls are going to start Pomegranate because we didn't get to it last month like we wanted to.

[00:19:47]Life. But we're going to start that. Um, still haven't looked to see what that book is about.

[00:19:52]>> [laughter] >> I just know we're starting it. So, honestly though, if I have downtime today, I'm probably going to do a jump start on that book before everybody else like I usually do because I work all weekend. And since I'm still training, I don't have that downtime to just like read or listen while I work or you know, I really don't have I don't have time to do that training cuz obviously I need to train. I need to figure out what the heck I'm doing. I'm weird to start that, so my next update may be about that book or I may just keep reading this one. I'm really not sure, but I will let you know.

[00:20:39]I have it on the go for Aliyah.

[00:20:43]I'm listening to Last Stop from Innocence right now.

[00:20:49]I wasn't ready. The what The story took a turn, guys. Took a sharp left. What the hell?

[00:20:55]Yes, please. Good one.

[00:21:00]So, yeah, I wasn't I wasn't ready for that, y'all. I I wasn't ready. If you read this book, you know what I'm talking about. I don't know what's to come, but I got to the first oh my god of this book. I'm like in a 70 something percent, so I'll be finished with this book today. Last night I did start Pomegranate. That book is by Helen Elaine Lee, I believe. But, um, I finally know what the book is about. I did read the synopsis. But, I read about three chapters of it and honestly, y'all, I was pulled in. I was like, "Ooh, this might be a good one." So, I read a little bit of it and then I went and I did read the synopsis cuz I'm like, I really don't know what I'm reading right now. So, the little bit that I remember from yesterday is that this is about a woman who's been in jail. I think she's been in jail about four or five years. We have no idea what she did to get in jail, but she is a queer woman and I guess the love of her life was in jail and she's living with one of her aunts.

[00:21:58]I don't think her parents are in the picture anymore. I'm really not sure how old this lady is. You know, she clearly has children cuz she's mentioned them, a boy and a girl. And right now I'm in like the beginning stages of coming home from jail.

[00:22:13]What What you could imagine that would entail. Again, I have no idea where the story is going to go, what the real plot of it is. It's just a story about like hope, forgiveness, redemption, things like that. So, I don't I I will keep you posted. I don't believe that I'm going to finish this book in this vlog, but I'm definitely going to finish Last Stop from Innocence because I'm about to let y'all go so I can listen to this while I'm riding.

[00:22:42]>> [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] >> No notes.

[00:23:22]None. I have no notes.

[00:23:25]I I don't.

[00:23:27]I don't I don't know what to say.

[00:23:29]This took a turn. Went from a sweet summer 90s love to I don't know.

[00:23:40]It gave me kind of like the feelings of Hold You Down, but not No, not to that extreme.

[00:23:47]Not nearly to that extreme. It's It's not a five-star feeling, but it's a high rating.

[00:23:53]Go read this book. I I No notes. I have nothing to say. This was a good one.

[00:23:57]This was what I needed right now. So, y'all, I'm tired. With that, I'm going to conclude this vlog. As always, thank y'all for hanging out with me. Make sure you like, subscribe, share, comment, and hype this video. All the books I talked about in this video will be in my Amazon storefront, in my link tree, in the description box. And I will see y'all next Sunday. [music]